Contents

Physical description

Foliage and cones

Red Spruce is a coniferoustree growing to 18–40 metres (59–130 ft) high (sometimes it could be much shorter, about 4 metres (13 ft)) and has a trunk diameter of about 60 centimetres (24 in), though exceptional specimens can reach 46 m tall and 130 cm diameter. It has a narrow conical crown. The leaves are needle-like, yellow-green, 12–15 millimetres (0.47–0.59 in) long, four-sided, curved, with a sharp point, and extend from all sides of the twig. The bark is gray-brown on the surface and red-brown on the inside, thin, and scaly. The cones are cylindrical, 3–5 centimetres (1.2–2.0 in) long, with a glossy red-brown color and stiff scales. The cones hang down from branches.[2][3][4][5]

Habitat

Red Spruce grows at a slow to moderate rate, lives for 250 to 350 years, and is very shade-tolerant when young. It is often found in pure stands or forests mixed with Eastern White Pine, Balsam Fir, or Black Spruce. Along with Fraser Fir, Red Spruce is one of two primary tree types in the Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest, a distinct ecosystem found only in the highest elevations of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.[6] Its habitat is moist but well-drained sandy loam, often at high altitudes. Red Spruce can be easily damaged by windthrow and acid rain.